Just This Once
by Pakmai
Summary: Bad boy James Bond is just Q's type. Not that the young man would ever let on. He knows 007 is dangerous in and out of the field. Bond is intrigued and fascinated by Q's sharp tongue and sharper wit. Sparks could turn into flames but just as easily fizzle into nothing. 007 is determined to get his way. 00Q, Whishaw!Q, Craig!Bond. NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Was talking with a friend the other day and got the urge to write another 00Q fic. At first I was just going to make this a one-shot, but my friend was so excited that I was writing another 00Q, that I had to expand it, and it will probably be a full-fledged story now. :)**

**I don't own the characters or anything Bond. I'm just playing in the sandbox. :)**

**Reviews/Comments welcome!**

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><p>Q sighed as he got into his flat and leaned into back against the door. It had been a long week, and his tiny fifth-story flat was a mess from where he only had enough time to shower, change, and sometimes sleep before he was back at work. He may be young to be Q, but he took hold of the position with both hands, and quickly quelled any objections through hard work and discipline. His minions - as he thought of them - now respected and trusted him, following his directives and producing results. The Q-Branch had been somewhat revolutionized under the guidance of the bona fide computer genius, and they had finally gotten cutting-edge technology to assist the double-ohs.<p>

For the first time since the funeral, Q allows himself to be sad, thinking of the great lady who bravely gave her life to save the country she loved from a raving lunatic. He had played a small part, though he does feel he failed a bit by letting them be hacked. Even if there was no way he could have guessed it. Closing his eyes for a moment, he pictures the agent who had been so distracting and who had crossed his mind more than once since. 007. The most infamous of the double-ohs to be sure. But also one of the smartest, despite the fact that he's five years older than any other agent. Any that survived this long that is. Q only met him during the Skyfall incident as it's become known, and not since then. The agent, James, made quite an impression. Though, with his piercing blue eyes, fitted suit, and easy confidence of a predator who knows he's the most dangerous in the room, it's no surprise that he should make an impression. Add on to that his obviously sharp mind, and it was no wonder Q couldn't forget him. James was just his type. Like many women, he was always attracted to bad boys, especially ones who stood up to Q, and his quick tongue.

This job was not exactly conducive to meeting new people, however, so the young man had to content himself with his fantasies for now. Finally, he moved away from the door, leaving his bag and jacket on the arm of his couch before removing his tie on the way to the kitchen, leaving it draped over his bar stool. He would pick it up later, or at least that's what he told himself.

After hesitantly sniffing at what turn out to be some rather rank leftovers, the young man pulls out his take away menus and opens his favorite - Chinese - to rest it on the counter as he removes his sweater and sends it to join his tie before untucking his shirt and rolling his sleeves up. Contrary to popular belief in Q-branch, this sort of clothing is far from what he's most comfortable in, or what he would prefer. A part of him would love to go back to his college days of worn in jeans, t-shirts and hoodies, but that is definitely not professional.

As he debates food options with himself, Q grabs his scattered clothes and brings them to the hamper in his bathroom. When he turns back to get the menu, a cool, faint breeze brushes through the room, but before he can turn toward the source however, a smooth, deep voice reaches his ears.

"Well this is a rare sight." Says the figure sitting in the open window, smoking with the cigarette thoughtfully held out the window and nearly finished anyway. "Somehow I expected you to live somewhere much more modern." He continues, the trademark icy blue eyes moving around the modest flat, with its wood floors, radiators, and muted pale brown walls.

Q jumps at the voice, startled before he turns around to face it, sighing a little. He should have guessed who it might be. "007." He greets coolly, pushing his glasses up as he looks at the older man who is, as usual, dressed impeccably. "It should go without saying, but apparently you need the reminder. Personnel files are private." He adds with a slight hint of annoyance.

A small chuckle comes from Bond as he flicks away his cigarette, then gracefully slides inside the window and shuts it behind him. "I didn't look it up, I followed you from the office. Earlier in the week and then again today. It's a good thing I didn't have any ill will toward you, there were half a dozen spots I could have kidnapped you. We have drivers for a reason. You are far too valuable an asset to fall into enemy hands. Any enemy." He points out in a slightly scolding yet playful tone, hands sliding into his pockets as his eyes peruse the younger man's form.

Resigning himself to the fact that the agent does not look like he is leaving anytime soon, Q sighs as he goes back to his menu. "I am Q. No one knows what Q looks like however, and my former personal history no longer exists. This flat is under a false name, which has a suitable history for any checks that might be done, I made sure of that." He points out in a cool tone, before he turns sharply to look at the agent. "Now, kindly tell me why you are here, 007. This is my flat, not my office. So, if you do not give me a good reason why I should not throw you out, I am afraid you will have to leave."

For a moment, Bond remains still, eyes narrowing briefly as he evaluates Q and how serious the brunette is, before he looks away. "They haven't finished my flat yet, and the idea of spending another night in a hotel was rather distasteful. I prefer not to stay in hotels while in London." He explains before he glances around, finally turning his gaze back to Q and moving with feline grace over to the younger man, sitting down on one the stools close to him. "I'll even pay for dinner." He offers as a little extra incentive.

This man was dangerous. In the field or in everyday life it's obvious that Bond was used to getting his own way with his charm and smooth words. Q should put his foot down and refuse to put up with his antics. But the older man is just his type and he did not look forward to a lonely night in front of his laptop or tellie, either. With a small sigh, he pushes his glasses up as he decides to give in. "Alright, but don't get used to it, it's just this once."


	2. Chapter 2

Days later, Q reflects on that night which was surprisingly companionable. They ordered Chinese, ate and watched some TV, even talked a little bit. And when it came time, James slept on the couch without complaint and was gone in the morning by the time Q got up, the blankets neatly folded on one end of the couch. All in all it was a very strange encounter for the young genius, one that he finds himself dissecting and quite distracted by whenever he has a moment to himself.

The day after their encounter, Bond was sent off to a high priority mission, another one of Q-branch giving him a kit. Q was there during the mission though, a voice in the older agent's ear, guiding him through to his objective. There is flirting from the older agent of course though the brunette attempts to keep it professional, even scolding Bond a few times, but it seems to keep him calm and focused so Q can't object that much to it. However, once the mission is over, then it's over, and Q signs off after giving Bond a professional 'congratulations' on a mission well done, and has not spoken to the agent since. Instead, he let R or one of his minions deal with the cleanup to that mission while he attended to more important things.

With the various other project he has going on, Q has almost managed to forget about the mission when he comes into work one morning carrying his scrabble mug full of Earl Grey, some folders in his other arm, to find a certain agent perched on one of his minions' desks, flirting with her rather obviously, one hand resting on a plain cardboard box that is resting on his leg.

"That had better not be what remains of my equipment, 007." Q says as he sees the agent, not even surprised at this point, merely adjusting his glasses before he turns to unlock his office and walk in, expecting the agent to follow him. The folders go on his desk and his mug goes on its coaster before he takes his seat and puts out a metal tray for the man. "What's left this time." he says in a rather defeated tone.

Standing with a smile in Q's direction, Bond takes the box in both hands and he shakes his head. "I would never be so careless with your equipment, Q." He says in a tone full of innuendo, following the shorter man into his office. When the tray appears, James puts his gun and what's left of his earpiece on it. "You really should work on the ear pieces being waterproof." he says smoothly, before he places the box in the middle of Q's desk. "And this is for you, my dear Q." He says as he walks around to sit on the corner of the younger man's desk.

Not letting himself be ruffled by the proximity of the agent, Q takes a deep breath and picks up the gun, removing the clip and checking it over. "Well, it seems to be in functional shape, I suppose I should be glad you brought it back at all." he says before he opens a drawer and puts the metal tray inside. Looking at the package that is put on his desk, Q blinks owlishly at it for a moment. "I am not making you any exploding toys." he says bluntly before he reaches out and brings the box closer cautiously, looking up at 007 before he slowly opens the box. What he finds inside rather surprises him. He was expecting something as a thorough joke or to poke fun at the young boffin.

Instead what he finds is a pair of book ends, appearing to be made of bronze. They certainly had the weight for it. Atop the squared bronze base are a head and neck of a buck, its antlers arching up gracefully, at least six points each. Each statue mirrors each other so that it would look similar when on either end of books They would be good book ends, Q mused as he pulled one out of the box and turned it over in his hands. Confusion over the symbology though must have shown on Q's face as he looked them over because Bond chuckled softly from beside him.

"I saw them in a shop while I was getting intel." Bond says casually, which could mean any number of things coming from this particular agent. "Consider it a reminder of our first mission together." He says as he picks up the second one out of the box as he looks at it. "I'm sure you've seen the pictures, the deer that used to frame the entrance to Skyfall." He says as he looks over at Q for a moment, smirking a little. "Not something that just anyone would understand." he says as he places the statue in front of Q, clearing away the box for him.

Another slow blink comes from Q as he understand the true weight and sentiment that came behind this choice of gift. Still, it would be a bad idea to let the agent know exactly what it means to him. "Thank you, 007." He says before he adds, "Don't think bringing back gifts will garner you any favoritism. Since you brought my gun back in one piece, I will not lecture you about the ear pieces." He decides before he considers, sliding to the edge of his desk where there are some reference books, replacing his standard, plain metal book ends with the ones James gave him, nodding firmly to them before he returns to the center of his desk.

"Of course, I would expect nothing more from our Quartermaster." James says with a firm nod of his head, though there's some amusement in his look. "Well. I'll leave you to your work, and I'll see you at lunch." He says as he gets up and buttons up his jacket, glancing around the office for a few moments.

"What? Why would I see you for lunch?" Q asks in surprise with a small frown. "You can't just go making plans without consulting people. I most certainly do not plan to have lunch with you." He says in a firm, cool tone, adjusting his glasses again before he takes a sip of his tea and starts to wake up his computer for the day.

The denial doesn't deter James at all, obviously, as he looks at Q as if he didn't even say anything, evaluating him for a few moments as if trying to make a decision. "Good. I'll bring up some take away around noon, then." He says before he turns to take a few steps toward the door. "I hear you're rather fond of the Italian place down the street." He says casually, apparently having been doing his research on their young Quartermaster.

Seeing that he's not going to deter the stubborn agent, along with the promise of his favorite Italian food, Q sighs a little and then nods quietly. "I should find it worrisome that you're researching such personal details of my life, Bond." He says as he tries to chafe against basically being given orders, but he skipped breakfast that morning because he was in a rush so he sighs. "Fine. Lunch at noon. But just this once."

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><p><strong>Chapter 2! Somehow managed to get the word count almost exactly the same. That was weird. Hope you all enjoy this story, I love writing Q and Bond sometimes, because I can write them much more flirty. :)<strong>

**Reviews/Comments welcome!**


	3. Chapter 3

"I do hope that you're not just messing with that poor boy." Moneypenny says as she walks down the hallway past Q-Branch in time to see James coming out of it. "I doubt that he's quite prepared for someone like you." She says with some amusement as she falls into step beside him.

James smiles a little over at Eve. "I am sure I don't know what you're talking about." he says innocently. "What exactly do you think is going on, Moneypenny? I was merely returning my equipment." he says casually as he glances around the hallway, always on guard, especially after what happened with Silva. He knows that they're not safe, not even in their own base, not anymore.

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about." Moneypenny says with a slightly sly smile as she looks over at him. "From what I hear, you've never really taken a liking to Q or Q-branch in general, until recently. Since the Silva incident, actually. Our new boffin is quite attractive, though. In his own way. Rather oblivious though. I heard that several of the girls at Q-branch have tried to flirt with him and he hasn't so much as blinked. So far as they can tell, he didn't even realize they were flirting." She muses thoughtfully before she chuckles a little. "Then again, it's entirely possible that our dear Q is merely uninterested in women. Something you should keep in mind. Don't forget, I've been in Q's position before. You can't help but flirt, and I have heard the two of you on the last mission." She points out with a small grin, glad to see the older agent a little uncomfortable, having at least gotten under his cool for a moment.

"Well, if you know me so well you shouldn't be surprised. I'm an admirer of form, Moneypenny." Bond says as he looks the woman over for a moment. "Our Quartermaster's tongue is quite sharp, don't you think?" He asks before he smiles. "He also has a horrible habit of not feeding himself properly. The others in Q-branch have to bring him food sometimes. No harm in making sure he stays in top shape. We can't exactly have him passing out from lack of food in the middle of a mission. None of the other Q's were so careless." He says in a slightly disapproving tone.

Eve hmms quietly with a little smile, shaking her head briefly as she looks over at him. "Well, when you put it that way it makes perfect sense, logically." She says with a small nod of her head. "Certainly can't have him passing out. They might think he's not up for the job." She agrees with a small smile as she walks to the elevator an hits the button before she turns to look at Bond, holding the folders in her arms to her chest. "What will you do when you're not here to watch over him?"S he asks curiously with a little bit of amusement as she watches 007.

Standing with Eve at the elevator, Bond slides his hands into his pocket as he watches her for a moment, but he never changes his expression or his demeanor, staying unruffled. "I suppose we'll have to think of something. Just don't make him feel as if he's being looked after, he doesn't seem the sort to appreciate that." he says with a simple turn of phrase before he smiles. "I believe I have a debriefing to attend." He says before he nods to the woman."Good morning, Ms. Moneypenny." He says before he turns and walks casually down the hallway toward his briefing.

It takes a few moments until Eve realizes that James made it seem like it was now her responsibility to look after Q, and she sputters a little as the agent walks off, before she shakes her head for a moment. "Cheeky bugger." She mutters under her breath before she grabs the elevator and heads back up to the offices.

~oOo~

"What do you mean, no? I am looking at the bloody map, you need to turn left now to cut him off. No! No, you idiot. You've passed it now. I don't know why you asked for my bloody help when you're not going to take it. Next time don't waste my time." Q rants, leaning forward on his desk facing one of the larger screens, taking in the different portions which are showing the agent's car that he is currently speaking with, a map of the area, and the agent's target. He pulls the ear piece out of his ear, looking at nearest minion. "Turner, you take over, I can't deal with his idiocy, not as if he's going to listen to me anyway. He's going to get himself shot, or worse, he's going to lose his bloody target." He says in frustration, running a hand through his hair before he steps back to take a deep breath.

Seeming rather amused, the young woman who was waiting to the side with Q's scrabble mug, comes up to hand it to him. "They can be rather stubborn, can't they? Always think that they know best. Afterall, what could a few desk jockey's know?" She asks with amusement, even though she was a former agent who, like Moneypenny, found that being in the field did not agree with her. Working in Q-branch was something she excelled at, and she had a certain zest for testing explosives. Her skills however are what got her promoted to R when Q took over.

"I swear, 009 is more stubborn than Bond." Q says as he takes the mug and then takes a drink, sighing a little as he watches what's happening on the screen while keeping half an ear open for what Turner is telling the agent. "Why bother asking for my help if they're just going to ignore me?" He asks with a sigh, taking another drink out of his mug for a moment.

"They're just testing you, Q. You're new, you're young." R says with amusement as she watches him. "And you're not exactly like our previous Q's, are you?"S he points out with a little bit of amusement. "They don't trust you yet. Give them a little time, it's only been about a month or so since you took over." She looks past her boss to the minion, smirking a little as the young man gets a little flustered.

"No! Bugger all. Bloody moron, you're going to lose him!" Q yells at the screen, throwing one hand up in exasperation before he puts it flat on the desk in front of him and leans over on it, gently putting his tea aside with a little sigh. "I'm going to my office before I throw something at that screen. I'll leave this in your hands, R." He says in a frustrated, defeated tone before he straightens, taking his tea and walking toward his office, not wanting to be seen to lose his cool any more than he already has around his minions. They don't need to see this side of him. Once in his office, he sighs and sits down in his chair, tilting his head back a little, then he lowers it, removing his glasses and putting them on the desk before he rubs the back of his neck a little and his shoulders, having had a bad morning and therefore a bit tense.

The smell of garlic warm food makes Q open his eyes, though he can't see a lot without his glasses so he puts them on. "007." he says as he sees the older man, glancing at the bags he's holding. "Is it that time already?" he asks before he looks at his computer clock, seeing that it is, in fact, later than the time they had set up, being almost 1pm.

"Sorry I'm late." Bond says as he looks at Q, considering for a few moments. "You look like you can use this right about now, you look bloody awful." he says as he puts the paper bag on the edge of Q's desk, then starts unpacking the aluminum take away containers.

"Apparently double-oh's are all a bunch of stubborn, idiotic children." Q says as he looks at Bond pointedly for a moment. "I've had a rather stressful morning dealing with one of your fellow agents, 007." He says before he adjusts his glasses and starts to pay attention to what Bond is unpacking.

Snorting a little in amusement, James nods quietly. "We are a rather stubborn bunch, it's what keeps us alive." He says simply as he watches his Quartermaster for a moment. "Lunch will last a moment." He says before he slips behind Q's chair, putting his hands on the slim man's shoulders, making him sit up a little straighter before he moves his hands to massage his shoulders slowly, taking a moment to release the worst of the knots before he moves to either side of Q's neck, his strong thumbs soothing the kinks out of his neck.

With a small sigh, Q allows the touch for the moment, trying not to make any noises that would just boost the agent's ego, grunting when a few painful knots are released. Having the hands of an agent like 007 around his neck would be enough to make anyone nervous, but Q only tilts his head forward a little, his curls in utter disarray at the moment from running his hands through them in frustration. With a small sigh, Q finally tries to move away from the touch. "Thank you, but I believe that's quite enough, 007." He says in a cool, dismissive tone, reaching for one of the food containers.

Even though he says that, Bond leaves one hand on the back of Q's neck for a moment, thumb stroking along the side of the long column. "And here I thought you were rather enjoying it." He says with a slight smirk before he finally withdraws his hand, and digs plates out of the bag along with utensils and opens everything up before he serves a bit for himself and lets Q get his own. "009 is a little more stubborn than most. Very set in his ways. Doesn't like taking orders from boffins. He was the same way with the last Q, so don't take it personally." He says casually as if the small, intimate moment did not just happen.

Luckily Q recovers quickly and without showing that he was at all rattled by the touch or by the sudden change in subject. "Well, he's merely going to have to work at it." He says in a firm tone, glancing out through the glass windows of his office, getting himself some food and starting to eat before he shifts his eyes to Bond, trying to figure out the older man's game. The agents, and the double-ohs especially, have had varied reactions to him, from respect, to outright laughing at him, and some even dismissed him, until he caused a bit of trouble for them. But none of them have reacted the way 007 has. Of course, they have worked a bit more closely so far - through a crisis no less - than he has with any of the other agents. Still, it seems a bit odd that 007 should bother this much with him. Bringing him a present back, getting him lunch, and a massage. Either he is trying to curry some sort of favor, or he is a much different man than Q supposed he was.

"Like what you see?" Bond asks casually after Q is staring at him for a few minutes, blue eyes catching Q's, with a look of amusement on his face. "You won't get much done if you continue to admire me, Q." He says before he goes back to his food.

Not even that flusters Q, outwardly at least, he merely smirks. "I was just thinking. I'm trying to figure out what you're hoping to get out of this. You never acted this way toward any other Q. So that leads me to believe you are either trying to make me go easy on you when you destroy your equipment, which you no doubt will do given your track record, or you are trying to curry some other sort of favor from me." He says casually as he eats. "I should warn you that buying me presents or lunch will not help you." he says casually.

James just smiles a little, looking rather amused before he stabs his fork in Q's direction. "You, are an incredibly suspicious person, Q. Perhaps I merely found you intriguing, and was grateful for your help even though it could have gotten you fired, when we were dealing with Silva." He explains as he looks at Q, then licks his lips slowly before he goes back to his food. "Of course, my motivations could be as simple as keeping you fed so you don't pass out. I've heard you don't take very good care of yourself. Not that anyone else would comment, I believe most of them are intimidated by you." He says casually as he considers the conversations that he's had.

"Well they should be. They were not a very good department before I took over." Q says with a slight frown before he finishes off the food that he was eating, sipping his tea. "You'll forgive me if I doubt your reasons are that altruistic." he says as he watches the other man for a few moments. "Thank you for your company and your food, 007, but I do have work to do." He says as he clears the plate off his desk and then closes up the food containers again, packing everything away.

"Don't we all." Bond says but he doesn't argue, getting up and just smiling a little in that knowing way as he looks sometimes, before he helps to clear away the food. "Thank you for your company, Q." he says with a small nod of his head. "Hopefully you won't force me to bring you dinner as well." he says with a little smile as he watches the younger man.

Shaking his head for a moment, Q looks at James, deciding that he needs to put an end to this here and now. "No, Bond. While it was kind of you to bring me lunch, I will not be having dinner or any other meals with you." he says firmly as he sits down behind his desk and does his best to look imperious and in control, as much as he would like to do many other thing to and with Bond. When he speaks again his tone has a clear dismissal in it, and he immediately starts to go to work afterward. "As I told you this morning, this was just this once, Bond."

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><p><strong>Bond is like a freight train, sometimes you just can't stop him. Not that Q really wants to, deep down. He's just stubborn. Hope you enjoy this chapter!<strong>

**Reviews/Comments welcome!**


	4. Chapter 4

"Q, are you there?" Bond's voice comes over the comm. Already out on another mission, it's the type that he hates the most. It's merely a surveillance mission, meaning that he needs to follow someone around, just take note of what he's doing and who the target is meeting, things of that sort. He also has to keep out of the way and not noticed. In other words, the agent is completely bored out of his mind.

Sighing a little as he looks up at the screens and the occasional information that Bond feeds them via photos and other tidbits. "Yes, 007. I am still monitoring this frequency. Is there a new player we should be aware of?" he asks, typing on his keyboard to do some research. It's late at night in London and Q-branch is pretty much empty, except for the night shift of one or two employees who monitor everything, and keep track of the agents in different time zones overnight. Except of course for Q, who has decided to work late. And it certainly has nothing to do with a certain bored double-oh.

"Not really. He's sleeping beside the pool at the moment. I'm bored out of my bloody mind. And since I cannot seduce any of the very beautiful women here because I would lose sight of the target, it seems you're my only companion, Q." Bond says with a little smirk, having a Bluetooth device on his ear that hides his comm and makes him look a little less suspicious about seemingly talking to himself. "It must be what.. ten or eleven at night there at the moment? What are you still doing at work?" he asks in a scolding tone.

Sighing a little, Q flips a switch which takes Bond off speakers and restricts it to his own ear piece, before he stretches a little and picks up his tea mug to go get some more. "Well, I appreciate being made to feel so valued, Bond." He says as he enters the little break room and fills the kettle. "I'm doing my job, what do you suppose I'm doing here this late?" He asks in a slightly scolding tone, stifling a yawn so that it won't be heard over the microphone.

"I rather thought you might be hoping to talk to me again." Bond says with clear amusement in his tone. "Well, while we're talking, why don't we at least chat about something interesting?" he asks, stretching out in his chair, seemingly relaxed and his voice quiet enough that no one can hear him unless they are very close. "What are you wearing?" he asks in a serious, softly seductive tone.

Rolling his eyes a little at the antics of the agent, Q sighs. "I am not telling you what I am wearing, 007. And I hardly think that it would be exciting anyway." he says as he finishes making his tea and move back into the main room of Q-branch. "Perhaps you should invest in some word puzzles." He suggests calmly as he takes a drink of his tea and looks up at the screens, tapping a few buttons until he can get a satellite fix on Bond's location, hacking into the nearest CCTV camera to get a better view and make sure that Bond is behaving himself and that everything is precisely what Bond says it is.

Bond makes a sound in his throat that is sort of unsatisfied before he sighs. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to know, Q." He points out with a little bit of amusement. "Probably looking as posh as usual. Tell me you're at least not wearing that horrible mustard colored sweater." He says with a small sigh and a shake of his head, as if that sweater truly pains him.

"As a matter of fact, I am not. It's black." Q says defensively with a bite to his tone, before he removes his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Fine. You're going to manipulate me into revealing it anyway. If you must know, I am merely wearing black slacks, my sweater, a pale blue shirt and a black tie." he says with a shake of his head. "As I said, not very exciting. Why are you even asking me these questions, 007?" He asks suspiciously.

A small, triumphant smirk slides across Bond's face, and he hums slightly, pleased. "You know, your voice is very pleasant to listen to. You are so attractive when you're uptight and upset." He says with a little grin. "Don't sound so exasperated, Q. Getting a mental picture of you is good exercise for my mind. Besides, it's late, you should loosen your tie, relax a bit. Like that first night at your place." His tone drops a little to a deeper, smoother tone which hovers on the border of being seductive.

Q takes a drink of his tea before he tries to go back to focusing on work, resisting the urge to do as the voice in his ear says and to loosen his tie a bit. "You mean the night you broke into my flat? You're very persuasive, Bond, but you are attempting to take liberties where you've no right to expect them." he says though he frowns briefly afterwards, not entirely sure what he meant like that, which frustrates him because it means the agent is getting to him and messing with his head.

"You could have called security, or the police if you truly wanted me to leave. I think you were lonely. And who could blame you, the way you push everyone away. I'm not blind, Q. It's rather obvious that my interest in you is not one-sided. I think this could be a lot of fun if you let it. There's no protocol against it. I checked." Bone says with a little smile as he looks around, sipping his drink and getting comfortable again.

Glancing at the minions behind him, Q closes up the computer windows he had open, transferring a few to his screen in his office before he stretches. The silence lingers on as he picks up his tea and casually moves into his office to sit down at his desk. "Alright, Bond. Do you want to be honest? Yes, I was lonely that night. It wasn't long after our first meeting, which you have to admit was during a rather intense time." he sighs a little, taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes. "If it were a different time, or we were not in our current jobs, you would have been precisely my type. It is not, however, a good idea. We have a working relationship that we need to keep professional, Bond." He says in a firm voice, finally revealing more than he ever has to anyone but the relative anonymity of the comm conversation is helpful when revealing things like that.

A small chuckle comes from Bond, and his smile can be heard in his voice. "Precisely your type? Well, that is encouraging." He pauses a moment in thought before he pushes forward. "You could consider me a different person, Q. Afterall, I am just a British businessman on vacation. And given what time it is, you are merely a British citizen. Albeit a distracting one. Do you realize how innately graceful you are? Your movements are so precise, so measured, it's like watching a dancer." He says in a slightly distracted, almost wistful tone.

With a resigned sigh, Q shakes his head as he stares at his desk. "You are incorrigible, Bond. That is your cover which we both know isn't true. Flattery will not get you anywhere with me." He says in a firm tone but his resolve is wavering. It's hard to hold out against 007 when he is being charming.

Sensing weakness, Bond goes in for the proverbial kill, "But it is true. I have to believe it for it to be true." He says with a small smile. "Sit back, relax, and pretend with me, Q. Imagine you're sitting beside the pool with me..." He murmurs softly to Q, mesmerizing him a bit.

Finally giving in, Q gets up and moves over to the couch he recently had put in his office, loosening his tie, undoing the top button of his shirt before be lays back with a sigh. "Hah. I'm afraid I look rather awful in beach wear. You would more likely find me in a local bookstore or the balcony of my hotel room. If I were beside the pool or on the beach, you can be assured that I would be in some sort of shade. My complexion does not fare so well in intense sun." He says quietly before he smiles a little. "I can well picture you in your swim trunks and an open shirt, showing off your physique to anyone who will look. I imagine the sun would make your skin look like warm sand." He says thoughtfully, closing his eyes so he can picture it.

"You do have a bit of a porcelain quality about you that I would hate to ruin." Bond says thoughtfully with a small smile. "I am not quite that much of a showoff, I'm afraid." At least not since he came back from the dead with a somewhat ugly scar on his shoulder. "I wouldn't mind finding a secluded, shady spot on the beach to spend a little alone time with you, though." He notes after a moment, sounding almost thoughtful.

Q can't help but chuckle a bit himself. "Self conscious about your scar, 007? That seems unusual. It is a badge of honor, that you survived something like that." Being comfortable, with his eyes closed, he starts to feel a little sleepy, his words coming with a slightly slower, distracted quality.

"Get some sleep, Q." James says with a smile. As much as he enjoys flirting with his quartermaster, he prefers it when the younger man's mind is sharp and able to keep up with him. "And one more thing.." he pauses to wait for a sound of affirmation that Q is listening, before he goes on. "Call me James."

Being half asleep already he is really in no shape to deny getting some rest so Q just sighs, "Alright.. just this once.. Goodnight, James."

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><p><strong>I have to admit, I am having a lot of fun working the title into each chapter, it's not something I planned on doing until I decided to publish this and had to create a real title rather than just something to save it by. Q is finally giving into Bond a bit! He can only resist for so long. :) Hope you all enjoy!<strong>

**Reviews/Comments welcome!**


	5. Chapter 5

It's another week before Bond's mission is completed, and they speak a few more times, getting flirtier on both sides. Having actually gotten off of work a little earlier, Q sighs as he enters his flat, relaxing with a small smile as he hangs up his bag and shakes out his soaked jacket since in typical London weather, it's pouring rain out. Q ruffles one hand through his curls before he shivers and sighs, heading toward the bathroom and starting the shower running. He's been at the office for 48 hours because of an emergency mission in the Balkans, and to say that he feels grimy is an understatement. After gathering some clothes and a towel from his bedroom, Q stretches a little and closes the door to his bathroom most of the way, but he leaves it open a little so that the steam can escape.

Once under the hot water, Q sighs and ducks his head, letting the water run over his shoulders and release the tension and tightness that always accumulates there over the course of a day, not to mention in an emergency situation like it was. For a moment, he lifts his head as he thinks that he hears something in the rest of the flat, poking his head out of the shower and the sighing. "You're getting paranoid in your old age, Q." he mutters to himself before he ducks back under the water to keep getting washed up, scrubbing away 2-3 days worth of sweat and dirt.

Taking some time to relax himself in the hot water, Q is probably half an hour before he shuts the water off, dries off mostly and dresses in a t-shirt and jeans, grabbing a smaller towel to start to dry his hair, frowning as he hears noises out in the direction of his kitchen, sliding on bare feet out of the bathroom to creep toward the kitchen. But rather than an intruder that he was expecting, the boffin instead sees a particularly relaxed double-oh in his kitchen apparently making something. "You really must stop breaking into my flat, Bond." he says with an exasperated sigh as he comes out, rubbing the towel over his wet hair a little more to try to gently dry it without using any sort of blow dryer or anything like that. That tends to have bad effects on his hair.

"I did try and knock, but you didn't answer. You really shouldn't hide your key in such an obvious place, Q." Bond points out as he looks at the young man, pausing to stare at him for a moment and look him over with a small smile, then he turns back to the stove. "I thought since you seem to appreciate Italian, I would cook you some dinner, I heard what happened with 003." he says casually as he tends to the stove.

Sighing a little again and adjusting his glasses, Q watches Bond. "If you keep sneaking in here, you are going to make me less wary of intruders. And my key is hidden behind a hidden panel in my door frame." he objects as he looks at the agent, finishing with his hair and putting his towel over a chair, though his hair is still fairly damp. "I would appreciate at least a little respect when it comes to my personal life, Bond." he says in a firm tone as he looks at him with a small frown.

Bond glances over at Q for a moment and then smiles. "If you're worried about intruders you should have a better security system. Honestly, Q, for someone of your caliber, I thought there would be more.. tech around." he says as he looks around for a few moments. "Most people couldn't find your hiding spot, but I'm not most people." He says with another slight smile, before he finishes with the food and grabs two plates that he found before and puts the chicken alfredo on it, retrieving garlic bread from the oven and putting the pan on the top of the stove.

"A more sophisticated security system pulls more power, and can show up on the power grid as unusual." Q says matter-of-factly, "As do electronics. Not to mention they are vulnerable without a proper firewall. No, I have a laptop but everything else I keep safe at work." he says as he watches Bond, going over to look at the plate of food. "Well. A good wine is what we need." he says before he looks around and goes over to one of his cabinets, opening it to reveal the wine within. Pulling out a bottle, he finds two wine glasses and pours them each a glass. "It's a rather good vintage. Perfect for Italian." he says with a small nod of his head, before he picks up his plate and moves over to the couch and coffee table, sitting down on the floor.

Arching an eyebrow, Bond watches the younger man, admiring him and then following him over, removing his tie and laying it with his suit jacket, before he sits down at the other end of the coffee table. "I didn't peg you for a wine connoisseur, Q." he says before he picks u the wine glass, sniffing it lightly before he takes a small drink. "Mmm. And with very good taste." he says with a small nod of his head before he starts to eat.

"And I never thought you could cook, much less something of this caliber. We each have our secrets, Bond. Things which are not in our files." Q points out as he starts to eat, a little surprised at how good the food is, but he's not about to stoke Bond's ego by making a big deal of it. He does have to admit that the company is not unwelcome though and he doesn't mind having Bond in his flat, he just wishes that the older man would call ahead, or actually ask before coming over or coming in. "I take it you've stopped here before getting debriefed." He says as he looks over at the agent.

Of course, he just can't help himself, the older man chuckling a little for a few moments "Well, if you'd like to do the job, I wouldn't mind being debriefed by you, Q." he says with a smirk as he looks over at the younger man for a moment, finishing his food rather efficiently before taking his time with the wine, sipping it slowly.

Although he does feel a slight blush on his cheeks, Q keeps his composure, rolling his eyes for a few moments and then nodding a little. "Well, I certainly walked into that, as it were." he says thoughtfully as he looks around, finishing his own meal before he gets up slowly and goes over to start cleaning up his dishes.

When Q turns around after washing the dishes, Bond is right there, and immediately advances to put his hands on the counter on either side of Q, caging him in a little before he leans toward him. "Q." he says quietly as he looks into the younger man's eyes. "We have been dancing around this and flirting for months. You're really going to pretend you don't want more than just flirting?" he asks curiously as he watches him.

Q leans back a little in surprise, taking a slow, deep breath, which is probably a mistake because he can smell Bond's cologne, and what makes him James Bond. Still, he tries not to let it fog his mind, glaring back at the man for a moment. "I am not going to let you add me to the many notches on your bed post, Bond." He says before he puts his hands against the older man's chest to try and push him back, "If you are serious about pursuing any sort of relationship with me, then you are going to have to curb your own bloody instincts, 007." he says in a cold tone.

Allowing himself to be pushed back a little, James pulls one hand away from the counter to clasp over Q's, keeping it close against his chest, over his heart. "Q. You have so little faith in me." He says as he looks at the young man, before he nods. "If you'd rather wait, you'll find I'm capable of that. Do not try and tell me you haven't thought of it, though." he says before he squeezes Q's hand lightly for a moment. "You should give into your impulses once in a while, Q.. it can be quite cathartic.." he says quietly.

Sighing a little as he looks up at the agent in front of him, Q considers his answer carefully and then nods. "Bond, you are a bloody idiot. You know what kind of agent you are, and the appeal you have. Of course I've thought about it." he says with a small snort. "I'm not a eunuch." He adds, looking up into those too-blue eyes. "This is a very bad idea, Bond..." He says with a little sigh, but he removes one hand from the man's chest to give in to one impulse, sliding it around and into the hair on the back of the older man's neck where some gray is starting to mix with the blond.

Not able to help himself, James smiles slightly at the movement, his free hand moving from the counter to Q's waist, his other thumb stroking over the back of Q's hand. "Some things seem like bad ideas but turn out to be the best you've ever made." he says honestly before he leans in a little closer. "All I'm asking for tonight is a kiss, Q.. give me some hope.. just this once."

With a small sigh, Q's body relaxes some and he nods slowly as their lips draw closer. "One kiss." He says before their lips meet, tentatively at first before it turns into a passionate battle for domination, only ending when Q pulls back and slips sideways out of Bond's grip, breathing a little heavier than normal as he licks his lips. "Now for once, Bond.. don't push it. Just this once."

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><p><strong>I really do like writing this, but I have the ending already worked out for once, I think this will be ten chapters at the most, maybe a bit less. We'll see how it goes. :)<strong>

**Reviews/Comments welcome!**


	6. Chapter 6

It had been a long day, most people had gone home, and Q heads to the break room to get himself yet another cup of tea. As he waits for the water to heat up, he leans against the counter, lowering his head and closing his eyes. There have been quite a few that important missions that he has had to oversee, and it's taken its toll on him a little bit. Now most of the double-ohs are coming home for some much-needed rest. Except for 007. That particular agent, well, he has no clue where he is. M sent him on a mission that was so top-secret, the only thing Q could do was provide him with a basic field kit. There was going to be no support or anything for it. The young quartermaster has found that he actually misses the infuriating, wonderful, annoying, thoughtful agent who has made a habit of popping by Q-branch when he's around, or popping by his flat unannounced. Though at least he knocks now.

Lost in his thoughts, Q doesn't open his eyes until he feels someone come up behind him, arms coming into view on either side of him to trap him against the counter. For a moment he stiffens before he smells the particular brand of cologne that only 007 seems to use. Then he relaxes and smiles a little as he lifts his head."Welcome home, 007. I trust that your mission was successful." he says calmly as he stares at the wall, refusing to look at Bond or turn around just yet, not until he knows that the older man is alright.

With a soft chuckle close to Q's ear, Bond lowers his head to the younger man's shoulder, taking a deep breath through his nose before he tilts his head and places a light kiss on the soft skin of his neck. "Thank you, Q. You almost sound as if you were worried about me." He tease with a small smile, shifting forward to press closer to the boffin's body, before he says, "Yes, the mission was successful. I missed you." he admits, placing another soft kiss just beneath Q's ear. For once he's not meaning anything overtly sexual by it, merely being a bit affectionate and reassuring himself that he's home. And he was telling the truth, he did miss Q.

Smiling a little and tilting his head a bit when Bond kisses him, he shifts to turn off the kettle when it clicks, before he slowly turns around on the spot, leaning back against the counter to give himself a little more room, then he smiles at Bond. "You need to shave." He says as he lifts one hand to lay it against the double-oh's stubbled cheek. "Honestly, didn't you get cleaned up at all before you came to see me?" he teases a little, arching an eyebrow and trying to retain his aloof attitude so that Bond won't know exactly how pleased he is to see him. The agent does not need to have any more sway over him than he already does, Q muses as he looks into those blue eyes that he missed so much.

Chuckling a little as he watches Q, James straightens up a little but keeps his hands on the counter on either side of Q's hips. "I took a shower." He objects as he watches Q, then smiles a little."Shaving usually takes a bit more time for me than most. Of course, you wouldn't know, can you even grow a proper beard?" He asks skeptically, finally lifting one hand to lay it against Q's cheek, thumb stroking under his cheekbone for a moment before he lets it brush down the man's neck and finally returns to its place on the counter.

"Yes, Ms. Moneypenny said you favor a straight razor." Q says with a slight smirk as he looks at Bond, goose bumps rising on his skin at the touch but he tries not to react too much, even if he does sigh slightly when the hand is gone. "I have to admit, that might be something I'd be interested in seeing." He says as he tilts his head to the side, blaming his fatigue and general weariness for the fact that he's flirting so readily with the double-oh.

"Well, why don't you let me take you home, and you can watch in the morning?" Bond asks with a somewhat seductive smile, leaning closer to Q. "Surely anything else you have to do tonight you can do in the morning." he adds sweetly, before he leans in and places a tender, lingering kiss on Q's lips.

The brunette doesn't have time to respond before his lips are otherwise occupied, and rather pleasantly at that. Q responds and allows the kiss to linger for a moment before he puts a hand on Bond's chest and pushes him back. Under normal circumstances, there is no way that he would be able to move the agent if he didn't want to be moved, but Bond knows when to stop. "007, if you are thinking you are going to.. add me to your list of conquests tonight, you are mistaken. Even if I did want that tonight, I haven't the energy." He says as he watches the blond closely to try and gauge his reaction.

Chuckling a little, James smiles as he watches Q, licking his lips a little. "While that would, of course, be a lovely idea, that wasn't at all what I was suggesting, Q." He says with a small smile. "Well, I was suggesting I spend the night, and share a bed, I think we've gotten that far.. I was not, however, suggesting sex. Sometimes it's nice just to be close to someone, sleep in the same bed, share the same air. Surely you can appreciate the comfort that can provide, Q.. And that is all I was suggesting." He says quietly, straightening a little and removing his hands from the counter, so that he's no longer trapping Q there, not that he ever was if the younger man truly wished to escape he would have let him.

Blushing lightly in embarrassment, Q adjusts his glasses for a moment before he nods. "Well.. yes, I certainly can appreciate that." He says as he looks at Bond, considering. "I have a few more things to finish up here, but you can go on ahead, since you know where I keep my spare key anyway." He can't help but smirk slightly as he remembers that night, turning to pour the now lukewarm water into his mug. "I shouldn't be more than twenty minutes." He says as he looks over at the agent.

Chuckling lightly, Bond nods a little, and puts his arms around Q from behind finally, pulling him close for a moment. "Alright. You'd better not take much longer, or I'll drag you home." He says with a small smirk, having come to think of Q's place as more of a home than his own flat. Placing one last kiss on the side of Q's head, the agent releases him, striding out of the room as if nothing happened.

Q glances back to watch the agent go, before he chuckles a little, returning to Q-branch in much better spirits. It actually takes him a bit less than anticipated to get everything done, heading home with a small smile on his face since he is quite looking forward to an evening and morning with Bond. Still, he's a little tired when he gets there after the ride on the Tube, opening his door and locking it behind him before he drops his bag and jacket by the door, keys with it. Looking up, he sees the agent sitting at one end of his couch watching TV, wearing jeans and a t-shirt which sort of surprises the younger man because he has never seen him in anything other than suits or exercise clothing. "I see you brought an overnight bag." He says as he sees it at the end of the couch.

"Well, I wasn't about to leave in the same clothes I came in with." Bond says before he looks Q over and he smiles, crooking his finger in invitation to Q. "Come here, you look knackered. Have a glass of wine with me. I've some cheese, bread and such here, I thought we could relax for a bit." He offers, laying his arm across the back of the couch.

Not really in the mood to argue, Q removes his shoes at the door, removes his tie and strips off his sweater as well before he walks over and sits down close beside Bond, until he can get a glass of wine and put some food on a plate, then he turns and rests his back against the agent, stretching his legs out on the couch and then starting to eat slowly. "What in the world are you watching?" he asks as he rests his head back on Bond's shoulder.

Rather pleased with this situation, James turns slightly to make it more comfortable for both of them, his arm moving down from the back of the couch to curl around Q's waist. "Oh, I was just flipping channels, but it looks a bit like.. Antique's Roadshow if I had to guess." he says as he looks at it, then looks down at the curly mop of hair that is brushing his chin, a few strands of hair getting caught in his stubble. The fact that Q cuddled like this without any prompting or anything more than an invitation is something the agent considers a big step in his favor, it means the boffin is finally feeling comfortable around him, in private at least. "Looks like I'll finally get to see those infamous pajamas." he says with a small smirk.

Q blinks a few times, then he bursts out laughing, not able to help himself, putting one hand over his mouth, the laughter quickly dissolving into giggles for a few moments. "Bloody hell, Bond. You come up with the strangest comments sometimes. But you'll find my pajamas to actually be quite boring. I hope I didn't give you the impression that they would be exciting in any way." He says with a small smile. "I suppose you don't believe in pajamas. I do hope you plan on wearing something, otherwise you will be sleeping on the couch." he says in a firm tone as he glances back at the agent, but he still looks amused.

Smiling for a few moments as he listens to Q and feels the vibrations of his laughter, James makes a noncommittal noise in response. "Well, they may be boring to you, but I know so little about you sometimes, that any new information can be titillating." he says with a small smile. "I don't have proper pajamas, no. Usually just sleep in shorts and a t-shirt. or just shorts depending on the weather." Which is only partially true, since he does sleep nude sometimes, but that is mostly in those cases when sex is involved. "My shirt or lack thereof will be at your discretion, Q." He says quietly, lowering his head to say it with his lips closer to the younger man's hair.

With a small blush creeping over his cheeks, Q clears his throat before he goes back to eating. "I see." He says with a small nod of his head. "Good to know." he says as he watches the TV. Silence falls over them then as the younger man finishes his meal and eventually finishes his wine, sitting up to stretch a little. "I'm knackered, Bond. I think I'm just going to go to bed early." He says before he stands up and cleans up the food and wine glasses, before he heads toward his bedroom. "You can stay up if you like." he says over his shoulder before he disappears into the bedroom, the light flicking on as he goes about getting ready for sleep.

Watching the younger man walk away from him, Bond smiles a little and finally gets up, sighing a little at how stiff he sometimes feels at night. Turning the lights and the TV off, he goes to the bathroom to change while Q is in the bedroom before he walks to the door and knocks lightly. "Is it safe to come in?" The older man asks with a small smirk as he leans against the door frame, now dressed merely in a t-shirt and shorts.

Coming to the door, Q looks at the blond and then smiles, wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt himself. "Yes, James, it's safe." He says with amusement, using his proper name for once, something that he rarely ever does, and only when they're alone. Bad to get in the habit of doing it and then make a slip at work since they are trying to keep their odd relationship private for the moment. After glancing him over, Q turns and walks back to his queen sized bed, pulling back the covers and then considering, looking back at Bond. "Do you have a preference?" he asks as he motions to the bed.

While he is being looked at, Bond does some looking of himself and he smiles at what he sees, since Q looks rather vulnerable like he is. Shaking his head a little for a moment, the blond slips into the room and he smiles as he looks at the bed, shaking his head. "Doesn't matter to me." he says before he walks over and puts a gun on the bedside table after Q chooses a side. Catching the disapproving look, he merely smiles. "Habit. The disadvantage to being with a double-oh. At least I don't put it under my pillow." he points out, turning off the light before he slides into bed.

Sighing a little and getting into the bed as well, Q turns off his light and then tries to get comfortable, but the idea of having Bond in his bed is a little distracting. It's been long enough that he's really not sure how to approach this situation, so he puts his glasses on the night stand and ends up staring at the ceiling while laying on his back.

"Q." Bond says with amusement, propping himself up. "You have to relax or you'll never get to sleep." he says, chuckling a little, before he moves closer and reaches out to pull Q over to him, turning him on his side so that he is spooned up against the younger man's back, an arm around his waist. "There.. relax.." He soothes quietly.

Once he's arranged to Bond's liking, Q does relax, but he rolls his eyes a little, making one more sarcastic comment before he drifts off to sleep. "Maybe you should try to be a little less bossy, just this once."

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><p><strong>Awww, things are progressing! So cute. I've been watching Skyfall again a lot since I started to write this. Can't wait for the next one, hopefully with more QBond interaction!**

**Reviews/Comments welcome!**


	7. Chapter 7

When Q wakes up in the morning, it's to an empty bed, but from the fact that he still feels all cozy and warm, he figures that Bond hadn't been up for very long. Must be used to getting up rather early afterall, he muses, before he sits up and stretches, running a hand through his hair and fumbling for his glasses. He does feel good though, not having had any trouble sleeping which makes him rather happy. In fact, he feels rather content as he makes his way toward the bathroom. Seeing the light on and the door partially closed but not all the way, Q pushes the door open further and smiles. "Good morning, Bond." he says with a yawn, scratching the back of his head a little as he leans against the door frame.

"Did I wake you?" Bond asks, having been in the process of brushing his teeth, and he looks the younger man over for a moment with a smile before he rinses his mouth out. "Well, you look bloody adorable first thing in the morning." He smiles a little, slipping his stuff back into the small leather bag he has before he pulls out his shaving kit.

"No, you didn't wake me." Q reassures, shaking his head for a moment before he smiles, still feeling a bit groggy and not on his game yet this morning. "And you look rather sexy." He says before he rubs one of his eyes. "Budge over." Stepping into the bathroom, he elbows Bond to the side a bit so he can get to the sink, putting his glasses aside again before he splashes some water on his face and runs his hands through his hair. "So Moneypenny was right. You really do shave with a straight razor." He says as he sees what is inside Bond's shaving kit, opening his medicine cabinet to get out his own toothbrush, figuring it will be best to get that out of the way, that way he doesn't have to worry about his own bad breath or anything like that.

Chuckling a little, Bond considers for a few moments as he watches the younger man. "She'd hardly lie. Don't worry, I've shaved in darker places." he says as he watches Bond for a moment, adding some water to his small cup in order to make the lather he needs.

Straightening after finishing with his teeth, Q licks his lips a little as he leans back against the wall beside the sink, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, I hope you don't mind if I watch." he says as he looks at Bond, tilting his head back against the wall for a moment.

"Watch all you like, Q." James says as he spreads the lather over his face, and then glances at the boffin, chuckling a little. "Maybe after I'm finished, I'll give you a shave." He says as he notices the black stubble on the younger man's cheek, then carefully starts to scrape the straight razor across his cheeks with a light scratching sound, blue eyes occasionally cutting over to look at the brunette to see what his reaction is.

Honestly he's a little intrigued, and Q watches the agent work, rather curiously. Watching him use what could be a rather deadly weapon, to get what is probably the closest shave a man could have, is rather fascinating and not a little mesmerizing. "A normal razor suits my needs." He says as he touches his cheek again, not having the rough stubble that Bond seems to be able to grow quickly. In fact it would be difficult for him to grow a full beard.

Chuckling a little for a moment a he wipes the blade off, James looks over at Q and then smiles. "You only say that because you've never had a decent shave." he says with a quick wink at the younger man before he continues to shave, slowly and deliberately. With the last swipe of his blade, Bond finishes and then wipes the rest of the foam off of his face with a small towel, before he looks over at Q. "What do you say, Q. Do you trust me enough to give you a shave?" he asks as he holds up the blade.

Pushing himself away from the wall a little, Q lifts his hand and rests it against Bond's smooth cheek, letting his hand run down the older man's jaw for a moment. "Well, I certainly can't argue with results." he says thoughtfully for a moment, then he sighs softly.

"Oh? Well, perhaps we'd better put it to the proper test." Bond says as he closes the blade to prevent either of them from getting hurt, then pulls the younger man close, leaning in to give Q a passionate kiss which he lets go on for only a short time before he pulls away, taking a deep breath. "What do you think now? And don't think I didn't remember that you haven't answered my question." He says in a firm tone.

Slightly dazed from the kiss, Q adjusts his glasses and then nods. "Yes, well. I think that will do nicely." He admits, clearing his throat a little before he honestly tries to think about the request Bond has made of him. "Yes, I do trust you, James." he says finally, before he rolls his eyes. "And since you no doubt will not leave me alone until I accept, I will let you give me a shave.. but just this once."

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><p><strong>I know, this is a bit of a shorter one, but I just couldn't let this go without doing the shaving scene. Because that might be one of my favorite scenes in Skyfall. There is just something very intimate about watching a man shave. Whether it's with a straight razor or a normal razor. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it!<strong>

**Comments/reviews welcome!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Warning: This chapter is slightly more PG-13.**

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><p>Weeks pass since the initial time that Bond spends the night, and it's not the last time he does so. In fact, it becomes somewhat of a routine, especially when he comes back from missions, that he spends that first night at Q's flat. Of course, that's also what happens when Bond doesn't have a mission for a few days, he gets bored and decides to cook dinner for the two of them or something of that sort. It turns out to be rather domestic, and while it's not all the time, it's once in a while and enough that they fall into a bit of a routine when Bond does spend the night.<p>

This last mission though has been very trying. Bond almost dies several times, and overall it means he's in the field for almost two months chasing down leads on a rather elusive terrorist. It's been stressful on both of them, because while they haven't defined their relationship, there definitely is one there. And beyond snarking at eachother over the comms, they haven't had a chance to talk.

When James finally returns to London, it's almost midnight, and it doesn't take more than a quick glance into Q-branch to see that his boffin is not at work, so he must be at home. Considering for a few moments, the agent decides to head over there, and lets himself in using the hidden key. The flat is dark and quiet, and a quick glance into the bedroom confirms that Q is fast asleep, curled up in the middle of the bed.

Now that he's contented himself to know exactly where Q is, Bond takes a bit to wash off the grime from travel with a quick shower, pulling a t-shirt on and leaving him in just boxers. He has some plans for tonight, and maybe it's wrong to wake up the younger man, but the last few months have been so stressful, his thoughts were filled with Q the entire flight back. He has a plan, and a groggy Q will be a little less argumentative anyway. He's always so sweet and a little bit cuddly.

Slowly, the agent slides under the covers behind Q, moving over to curl himself against the younger man's back, sliding one hand around his waist. Bond watches the younger man for a few moments before lowering his head and placing a few soft kisses on Q's shoulder before he turns his attention to that pale, long neck, and places a few soft kisses there as well.

"Hm?" Q mumbles as he starts to wake up, the scent of Bond's cologne reaching him before his mind can truly kick into gear, so he's not surprised to find the older man in his bed. Instead, he gives a soft sigh of relief and tilts his body so he is leaning more against the older man's chest. "Bond.. I see you made it back safely, what are you doing here?" he mumbles as he starts to turn his head a little to regard the agent with hooded eyes, not able to bring himself to be fully alert and awake when he's so very warm and comfortable.

Chuckling softly, James moves back a little to allow Q to roll onto his back, but he leaves his hand on the younger man's stomach. "I wanted to see you. I found that I've missed you." He says softly, before he says, "I also had some rather interesting fantasies about you while I was away.." he murmurs in a seductive tone as he leans over and brushes a soft kiss across Q's lips, testing the waters as it were. When he doesn't meet with resistance, he deepens the kiss and shifts his body over to hover slightly over Q.

Still a little sleepy and having missed Bond quite a bit as well, Q responds to the kiss, shifting to get comfortable before he frees his arms to loop them around James' neck. The kiss lingers, and finally he breaks the kiss, definitely ok with how this is going. "I've missed you too.. You had me bloody worried, James, with those reckless stunts of yours." He says in a slightly annoyed tone.

James just chuckles a little, shifting until he can brush Q's hair back from his face, then slides his fingers into the soft strands to hold his head still. "Ah, I always come back." He says with a small grin, before he returns to kiss the younger man deeply, lowering more of his weight onto the slim figure beneath him. He lets the kiss linger on for a few moments before he breaks it, and lightly brushes kisses along Q's slightly rough jaw, lowering his head to pepper kisses over the very tempting, long neck. Narrowly, Bond avoids doing anything to mark that beautiful pale skin, not exactly sure where his possessive streak is coming from, but he definitely wants to stake his claim at the moment.

Responding to the kiss, Q gasps a little at the kisses and tilts his head back, sliding his hand down over Bond's back through his t-shirt. This is something that he's strangely wanted to do for months, exploring the broad shoulders and muscular back, long fingers finally slipping up the back of Bond's shirt in order to caress the skin of his back. Yes, maybe he shouldn't be going along so easily with the agent's expert seduction, but at the moment he doesn't care, especially since it's something he's wanted since he first saw him. Still, there is some sense left to his mind, and he finally finds his voice. "Bond.. we really shouldn't.."

"Doesn't seem like you really want to stop, Q.." James says as his hands move down to briefly interrupt Q's movements in order to get the t-shirt off of him. He's tempted to just rip it off but decides that might not make a good impression. Pressing their skin together, he takes a deep breath, nuzzling the smooth, soft skin of the neck and shoulder in front of him.

"What's right and what I want are very different things.." Q says as he arches up against Bond, pressing their bodies together, and going so far as to wrap one pajama-clad leg around James' to grind their hips together.

A soft, rumbling chuckle comes from James and he smiles, biting Q's shoulder lightly just to hear the gasp he gets. "Would it be so very bad, Q? It's what we both want.. what we both need.." He says as he slides up a little and looks into the younger man's eyes, gently starting to move his body up and down a little to rub it against Q's, a small bit of persuasiveness.

Q gasped, throwing his head back at the sensations as he arches up against the blond. It's been a while for him and that's part of his trepidation about it, but he finds himself unable to resist the agent once again. "Alright, James.. just this once..."

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><p><strong>We are nearing the end of this story, my friends. Just one more chapter to go, and then the finale! Thanks for following along, this story reminded me why I like writing 00Q so much. :)<strong>

**Comments/Reviews welcome!**


	9. Chapter 9

When it comes to a certain double-oh, Q has very little in the way of defenses. He also doesn't seem to be able to tell the agent 'no'. So while he may not have wanted to rush into a physical relationship, and in one way they did not, Q can't deny that he craves the intimacy that Bond is so well equipped for. One night turns into two, and then two or three times a week depending on how long the agent has between missions. Also assuming that the boffin gets home at a decent hour and isn't bone-tired.

By now, when he's not on a mission, Bond practically lives with Q, having been given a key officially and no longer having to use the emergency key. It's something that he's never had - even with Vesper - this open trust and close domestic intimacy that transcends anything that goes on in the bedroom. It's settled him some, given him a reason to keep coming home and made him take less risks. Though with Q in his ear, he can hardly go wrong, having had a better success rate with the new Quartermaster.

The ghosts are finally being pushed away and laid to rest and Bond is finding the idea of a future with the witty young boffin to be something very nice indeed. There are still moments of frustration however, and this night is one of them. Q told him that he would be home around 7, so for once Bond cooks, intending to have an intimate night in leading into a lazy, rare Sunday in which both of them have managed to get a day off. Now, however, it's nearly 8 and there is no sign of the boffin.

"Q, where are you?" Bond asks testily over the phone when he finally calls the younger man, glaring at the wall for lack of a better target, while he leans his hip against the counter, his free arm crossed over his chest.

"Bloody hell, what time is it?" Q asks as he glances at the clock, then sounds a little sheepish. "I'm sorry, James. Something came up with 002's mission and I wanted to make sure that the data packet she had to receive in the morning was going to be accurate. I suppose I didn't realize what time it was. I really must set alarms." he says with a little sigh, moving around and packing up his things quickly.

"I made dinner. Should reheat alright. Do you want me to come pick you up?" Bond asks, always worried and overprotective about Q traveling home on the tube, especially since he was almost hit by one not too long ago and knows how fragile the underground system is.

There's a slight pause on the other end of the phone and a slight huff of amusement. "That is incredibly sweet, James. To think, a year ago I would never have thought you capable. I'm sorry for being so late. But you don't have to pick me up, I know the Darfur mission was rather hard on you, so you should be resting. I can make the Tube in time for the last run." The young man reassures with a small smile on his face, and a rather happy tone, even if he shakes his head in exasperation at his double-oh.

"We have a car service for a reason. You are far too valuable an asset to be taking the tube home. Despite what you might think, I am intimately aware of how dangerous it is." James says in a slightly irritable tone, pushing away from the counter and pacing back and forth a little. "For once would you listen to me and take a bloody car." he says firmly with a small frown, finally ending up near the windows and looking out. "It would be faster anyway, at this time of night." He says as a slight afterthought.

Hearing the concern in Bond's tone and shaking his head a little, Q smiles. "I have been taking the tube for a year. No one knows who I am, as I've told you countless times, no one knows what Q looks like." He points out, snorting a little for a moment. "And I very much doubt anyone would pick me out of a lineup as Q. There are some advantages to looking as unassuming as I do." He says thoughtfully after a moment as he puts his jacket on and grabs his bag to slip out of his office. "Goodnight, R." He says to his second-in-command before he starts to head toward the exit of the building, eager to be home and in Bond's warm arms.

Growling a little in frustration, Bond runs a hand through his short hair. "I swear, Q.. if you didn't come home because of the bloody Tube.." He mutters, letting it trail off threateningly. "Especially when we both have a day off tomorrow.. which I thoroughly intend to take advantage of." He says with only a slightly suggestive note to his tone because he intends to do much more than make love to his Quartermaster. He just wants to spend a lazy day in bed with him, cuddling and talking. As odd of a thing as that might be for him to admit even to himself. "Honestly.. will you ever listen to me?" He asks, still frustrated and leaning his forehead against the glass of the window for a few moments, closing his eyes before he lifts his head away.

"As if something as simple as the Tube could keep me from coming home." Q says with a small snort, shaking his head for a moment. "I am quite looking forward to tomorrow as well." He says honestly as he exits MI6 and out onto the city streets, glancing around the relative quiet for a moment before he heads toward the closest Underground station. "What would you do, James? Come after me?" He asks with a small laugh. "I listen to you all the time. Just not when you're being pigheaded about something. Which is a great deal more than you listen to me." He points out in a firm tone, referencing the fact that more than once Bond has decided to go his own way instead of doing what Q told him to do.

"Yes, and I rather learned my lesson on that point." James admits as he moves back to the food, heating up the oven and popping the plates inside to at least keep them warm. "If you didn't come home? Yes, Q, I just might try and follow you. It honestly scares me how much you mean to me." He admits in a quiet tone.

This causes Q to pause, and he smiles a little before he shakes his head. "Oh, James.." he says in a gentle tone. "I wouldn't want that, you know. No matter what happens to me, I want you to keep living. I imagine you would feel the same if you were to die in the field. You would hardly want me following after you, and I would not want that for you, either. We cannot control our fate." He says before he thinks about it for a little longer. "I'm going into the station now, I'll call you when I'm off." he says with a shake of his head.

"Alright. Be careful." Bond says before he hangs up, not wanting to go into the rest of the stuff right at the moment. That is what the lazy Sunday in bed is going to be about. Feelings. Not something that has ever been particularly easy for him to talk about, but he knows that there are some things that he wants to talk to Q about, some things that he feels need to be said.

~oOo~

The next morning, Bond wakes up first, smiling a little as he feels the weight of Q against him. Sometime during the night they must have changed positions, going from Bond's preferred position of spooning to him being on his back and Q curled against his chest. Sliding his fingers up the smooth, pale skin of Q's back, the agent lowers his head a little to take a deep breath of those dark, soft curls and plant a soft kiss there.

The movement is enough to wake Q, who shifts, rubbing his cheek against Bond's chest in a very catlike gesture before he stretches languidly, back arching a little into the agent's touch before he relaxes and takes a deep breath. "Good morning, 007." he says playfully with a slight smile, turning his head to look up at the older man with unfocused green eyes, his glasses sitting on the night stand.

"Morning, Q." James says quietly with a smile, lifting his free hand to brush it against the brunette's cheek gently, feeling the barest hint of stubble there. He's fairly sure the younger man would take a month to grow a proper beard. Tearing his attention away from those beautiful green eyes, Bond looks over at the window, the rain coming down steadily and tapping against the windows. "Sounds like the perfect day to spend in bed." He says quietly, looking back at Q and leaning down to give him a light kiss.

While Q does respond to the kiss, he pulls away quickly and makes a face. "Morning breath." He grumbles before he slowly sits up, stretching again and then slipping out, digging into his drawers to find some fresh boxers and a shirt before he disappears down the hallway to the bathroom.

Chuckling a little, James stretches, noticing a few aches and pains that have been rather insistent, before he gets out of bed and finds a shirt and boxers for himself as well before he goes to the kitchen, getting tea, juice and starting some eggs and toast for them both, knowing that Q takes a bit to wake up before he's ready to face anything, and he's useless without his cup of tea.

Q trudges out and pokes Bond in the side. "I'll finish up here.. Breakfast will be in bed." he declares before nudging the agent again until he can take the spatula and such from him.

"Alright, alright.." Bond says with a smile, leaning over and placing a kiss just below Q's ear against his neck, then he goes to take care of his own things, finally returning to the bedroom to find Q in bed with a tray sitting in the middle, glasses on, tea in one hand and a piece of toast in the other. "Started without me?" he asks with amusement as he goes to sit down on the other side of the tray from Q, slipping back under the covers. He waits a beat before leaning over and giving him a more proper good morning kiss.

"Oh, shut up, James, and eat your breakfast." Q says in exasperation, but he is trying to contain his smile of amusement. Still, he doesn't stop watching Bond until he eats, and then he goes back to his own food, rather content to sit there and eat.

When the food is all gone, the tray is brought back to the kitchen by Q, and then he slips back into bed, sliding over to cuddle up against the older man. For a little while, there's nothing spoken between the two just lazy kisses and soft caresses exchanged.

"You scare me, Q. I'm not sure what I would do without you. You give me a reason to want to come home.." Bond murmurs as they lay on their sides, face to face, and he strokes back the boffin's hair gently, stroking down his cheek lightly before exchanging a few more soft kisses. "The last time I felt like this.." He trails off for a moment and looks away.

"Vesper." Q says understandingly before he smiles sadly. "I'm not her, Bond. There's several reasons I'm not a field agent, and one of them is that I'm a bloody awful liar." He says with a small smile. "I think this time you chose someone as far from Vesper as you can get." He notes with a sly smile before he puts his hand over Bond's heart, feeling it beat against his palm. "I'm glad you've stopped trying to kill yourself on missions. I know what you do.. what we do. I will be professional when you're on missions, but it's difficult, knowing when I give you your kit and send you off, you might not come back." He says quietly, moving a little closer, tangling their legs together under the covers.

"You're always in my ear, and that helps me focus, gives me strength on missions, Q." Bond says quietly as he kisses him for a few moments, before he rests their foreheads together. "Even if you have bloody awful fashion sense." He teases with a little smile.

Giving the blond a bit of a shove to the chest, Q laughs a little and shakes his head. "There is nothing wrong with my fashion." he says more seriously. "It suits my needs, and it seems to have been just fine because it certainly attracted you, now didn't it?" he asks with a slight smirk.

Rolling them over to pin the younger man beneath him, trapping his arms above his head, James growls playfully. "You're mine. Luckily I have rather singular tastes and your fashion repels most people.." he says before he smirks a little. "Should I make it more obvious, make sure everyone in Q-branch knows that you're taken?" he asks, lowering his head to kiss along Q's neck.

"Bond." Q says warningly. "James, don't you dare!" He says a little more urgently before he starts squirming a little to get away from the onslaught of kisses, afraid that the agent might make good on his word. "The last thing that I need is to go into work, looking like a bloody teenager with a love mark on my neck!" He says, as he continues to squirm and try and free his hands. "James! Release me!" He says firmly, with as much of an imperious tone as he can muster under the circumstances.

Giving the man a soft bite where his neck joins his shoulder, James finally releases his wrists, grinning a little as he slides his arms down the skinny but surprisingly strong arms to rest on the bed on either side of him in order to keep his full weight off the slim figure beneath him. "I think it would be rather amusing, actually." he says with a small smirk.

Now that his hands are freed, Q shifts a little, hooking one leg around Bond and pushing quickly while the agent is distracted and flips him onto his back. "Well, that wasn't very smart of you, Bond.. you're letting your guard down." He says from his perch above Bond, resting his hands on the agent's chest and looking down at him.

"My guard is down around you far too often, Q." Bond allows, stretching out and putting his hands behind his heads. "What shall you do with me now? I am at your mercy. Be gentle, Q." he says in a fully playful tone, smirking slightly as he watches the younger man.

"Well, there are many things that I could do with you, Bond.." Q says as he leans over, hands on the agent's wrists to hold him there, but no match for him if he really wanted to be free. Teasingly, he brushes his lips across Bond's lightly, pulling back when he tries to lift his head and get more contact. Finally, Q allows a firm kiss, pulling back and sitting up after a few minutes. "That's a rather good start, I think.." he says with a small smile.

"Tell me your name." Bond says out of the blue, a little breathlessly as he lowers his hands to Q's waist and pulls him down, one hand sliding up his back to rest between his shoulder blades. "Please. Tell me your real name, Q." he says quietly.

A pained look crosses Q's face for a moment and he sighs, resting his head on James' chest and listening to his heartbeat for a moment, arms curled under him. "You know I can't, James.. Besides, I left all that behind when I became R, and then Q." He says as he closes his eyes for a moment. "That man no longer exists, you know that." he says as he lifts his head to look up into those icy blue eyes that mesmerized him even on their first meeting, to the point he could barely look at the older agent.

James watches him for a few moments, before he sighs a little. "I hate calling you Q sometimes.. because it's as much your title as it is your name. I want to know everything about you. Not just the you now, I want to know who you were, how you became Q, and how you became so bloody brilliant with computers.." He says gently as he strokes his hand through those dark curls, his thumb stroking over Q's prominent cheekbones slowly.

Closing his eyes for a few moments under the caress, Q sighs a little, looking up into the agent's face, remembering his file, all the pain that he'd been through, the trust issues. And somehow, the agent has trusted him, of all people, to open his heart to and bare his soul. And now he wants to take it even further than that. He wants to bare his heart to Q as well. How could he not want to reciprocate, to tell him everything?

"I want you to know me as well, Q.. everything. And I'm willing to tell you anything you want to know." James insists as he looks down into the vivid green eyes of his lover, his Quartermaster, and if he were honest with himself, his heart.

Shaking his head a little with a rueful smile, Q pushes himself up so that he's sitting on Bond's legs, finally moving off to the side and stretching out beside him, propping himself up on his elbows. "I wish I had some way to resist you, James. But I just can't seem to help myself." he says with a small sigh, "So for now.. let us pretend that the world doesn't exist. That we are two normal blokes.. lovers trying to get to know one another.." he says quietly, leaning over in preparation to whisper his true name in Bond's ear. "And hopefully.. just this once.. I might even believe it."

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><p><strong>This took me a long time to get to a point where I could end it, which is why it is insanely long, haha. I hope you enjoy it, thank you for following and such so far, the next chapter will be the last though, so thank you all!<strong>

**Reviews/Comments welcome!**


	10. Chapter 10

It had been almost a year and a half since Silva and the Skyfall incident, when Bond had first met his new Quartermaster. From the moment he understood who this odd boffin was, he knew that he had to get to know him, had to find out more about him. It took some fighting and it was always Q who controlled their relationship, controlling it's speed, to make sure that he wouldn't get hurt.

The offices are dark, and Bond is looking out at the rain and remembering. Q loved rainy days in London, he thought it made the city more mysterious. It is fitting that today should be raining, Bond thinks as he looks out at it, wearing Q's favorite suit, a dark colored one with a blue tie the younger man had given him for a present.

"Bond, there you are. We need to leave, or we'll be late. Q wouldn't want you to be late." Tanner says from where he poked his head in the door, watching 007 carefully to try and gauge his emotional state.

"Of course." Bond says in a distracted way, finally turning and slipping unto his jacket, retrieving his umbrella as well before he follows Tanner down in the waiting car.

The ride is silent, Tanner looking straight ahead as always and Bond looking mostly out the window while remaining alert for potential threats. Traffic does delay them and by the time they arrive it seems everyone has left. It's just as well, he saw them and Q the day before but hadn't had any alone time with the younger man to express his feelings.

Slowly, Bond gets out of the car under his umbrella, glancing over at his handler. "I'll just wait here, shall I?" The man asks as he looks at the agent carefully.

Nodding mutely, Bond climbs up the small hill, his dress shoes squishing a little in the grass. Looking down at the turf, Bond can barely bring his eyes up to look at the new headstone. One with a name no one else knew but him until now. A man that Q had once told him was gone. To see the name here now seemed sacrilege, a defilement of the intimacy they once had together. Now everyone knew the truth. To most, the man buried here would always be Q. But to the agent, he was so much more.

Unable to hold himself upright under the weight of his emotions and his grief, James falls to his knees in the wet sod. 'You bloody idiot, you'll stain your trousers.' Q's voice says in his head but James can't bring himself to care.

A gust of wind tilts the umbrella out of James' grasp and he lets it fall to the ground beside him, letting the rain wash away the tears on his face until the two are indecipherable from each other. This is different from Vesper. This time he has no one to go after. No one to take revenge on. No mission to ease the pain.

Bond insisted often that Q take the car service home because he thought it was safer than the tube. He was so worried about something happening to the younger man. And perhaps it would have been safer if a drunk hadn't ran a red light and t-boned the car Q was in, killing the young man and the drunk instantly. Q's driver died a few days later. Now there was nothing to do but drown in the guilt and the grief that consumes him as the rain soaks through his clothes. But he doesn't care. Nothing matters now.

He remembers a conversation they once had about what would happen if one of them died, something that seemed so distant and detached at the time, a mere thought, a concern. They thought they were invincible, and that if one of them was going to die it was going to be 007, recklessly saving the day in the field again. Not by something as mundane as this. James shakes his head a little for a moment as he bows his head and tries to hold back the sobs that threaten to wrack his body, but to no avail.

Now, sobbing in front of Q's grave, Bond reaches out to lay his palm flat against the marble, looking up at the dear name etched there. "Please, Q.. don't be gone. Come back to me. I can't do this without you. Not now. Come back, please." The older man begged, leaning in to rest his forehead against the stone, "Do was you're told, Q. Please. Just this once..."

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><p><strong>I've had this written since like chapter 3.. I had to tweak it a little to fit in some other stuff, but when I was re-reading it, I almost cried, now that even I know what happened in between. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, I know it's really sad, but I couldn't see this story ending any other way. Thank you all for reading and commenting, I really do love writing 00Q, and have another in the works. Thanks again.<strong>

**Comments/Reviews welcome.**


	11. Epilogue

A year passes Bond by without anything to mark it. He doesn't pay attention to the passing of the holidays, to the time of year. The only date he cares about is when Q was taken from him. The only thing he cares about is getting up each morning, fulfilling his missions, and living. Living for them both.

James keeps Q's flat, keeps the things that were Q. He drinks tea every morning just to have that scent, he still uses his straight razor to shave, knowing how much Q used to like watching him do it. He sleeps in the bed that they used to share, and sometimes when he wakes up he feels a slight warmth next to him as if Q had just gotten up first, probably in a tizzy about being late.

In a way, he's now the perfect agent. He is better than ever, completes the missions that he's assigned with deadly accuracy. He doesn't socialize, he doesn't flirt unless the mission calls for it, his heart is locked up tight. If it weren't for Q's words, it's likely that James would have ended it not long after his love was gone.

A year passes and Bond stands at the grave that he visits every time he is in London, placing flowers gently down on the grave and clearing off some stray grass and such. "I miss you." He whispers to the grave, touching the top of it gently.

Eve comes up behind him, having been more concerned than anyone about his welfare, wishing she could bring back the flirty, carefree Bond, but she knows nothing can do that now, perhaps not even time itself. "Bond.. how are you?" She asks as she gets closer to him.

Turning red-rimmed eyes to the younger woman, James blinks a few times before he lifts one hand to wipe his cheek, and then look back down at the grave. "I get up, I live my life. I save lives. I do my job. It's what he wanted." He says as he nods toward the grave. "But I will never forget him. I will never love again. And nothing will bring him back." He says simply as he looks over at the woman.

"Oh, James.." Eve says as she moves over and puts an arm around him, giving him an awkward half-hug and resting her head against his shoulder for a moment. "It'll get better, in time. You're right, he would have wanted you to live. But not like this. He would have wanted you to live your life to the fullest. You have to. For him. You're living for both of you now. You need to remember that he wouldn't want you mourning after him like this." She says gently, tentatively as she looks up at the deadly agent, who looks as lost as a little boy.

"How do I do that?" Bond asks with a small shake of his head. "Time heals all wounds. Except it doesn't." he says simply as he stares down at the headstone. "We had the conversation.. about what would happen if one of us died. I always thought it would be me. He said he wouldn't want me to follow after him, and that is the only reason I haven't. Or perhaps I'm just too much of a coward. He was my heart, Eve, and now he's gone. Nothing will fix that. Nothing will bring that back." he says simply, though he appreciates the comfort that Eve provides.

"So you'll just keep living like this? For how long?" Eve asks worriedly as she looks at him.

James shakes his head for a moment and then takes a slow, deep breath. "I don't know. I wish we had had more time, I wish we had talked more. We should have known better." he says as he hangs his head and wipes his face again, taking a deep breath through his nose to keep from sniffling. "He used to have all the answers. And now.. just this once.. I wish I did, too."

~oOo~

When 007 receives a mission the next day, Eve steps into M's office afterwards, having seen what it is. "Sir." She says as she looks at the current head of MI6. "That mission you put Bond on.. It's suicide." She says in a concerned tone.

M sighs a little as he looks up at Even, folding his hands on the desk. "It is." He says, not sugar coating it and not trying to deny it. "I didn't tell 007 that." he says before he gets up and walks over to his bar to pour himself a drink. "I hope he doesn't come back." he says sadly after a moment.

Eve looks rather shocked because she's never heard her boss talk like this. She knows he didn't particularly like Bond, but she never thought he'd deliberately send out one of their best agents to die. "You sent him to die?"S he asks in shock.

"Yes. But not because I hate him, Ms. Moneypenny. Within the month, they're going to force retirement on him." M says as he looks over at Eve. "His Psyche evaluations have been worse and worse every time he comes back from the field. He's not considered stable. This mission is his last chance. To go out the way he would want, serving Queen and Country. You and I both know he won't last once they force retirement on him." The older man says as he looks at his secretary, taking a sip of his drink.

After she hears that her boss is not maliciously sending agents off to die, Eve relaxes a little, but then she looks sad and she nods quietly. "Yes. I saw him yesterday at the cemetery. He's not getting better." She says with a small shake of her head. "He's surviving, but he's not living. I'm not sure he can anymore. He's only alive because he promised Q." She says, not able to keep from calling him that even though they do have a new Q, a new Quartermaster. But anyone who knew the bright, intelligent man who revolutionized Q-branch, can't help but continue to think of him as Q. "Best for him to go down fighting, eh?"

Knowing the details but not exactly how dangerous the mission will be, Bond approaches it as he does any other mission, gathering the intel, following his instincts and trying to get the mission done. Ever since Q's death however, he has refused to have anyone in his ear, made it quite clear that Q-branch is only to contact him if it is vital to his mission. Otherwise, he'll find his own way, just as he did before.

It doesn't take long for Bond to figure out that this mission is quite different from the others he's been on for a while. Last time he was on a mission like this, he had Q in his ear ordering him where to go. This time he's on his own, but he's older, he's slower, his senses aren't as sharp as they used to. And hid slight distraction from his grief causes him to move a few seconds too late.

"Oh, James.. what am I going to do with you?" A soft, posh voice comes to the agent, affectionate yet scolding.

There's a bright light on the other side of his eyelids, and a soft bed beneath him. This seems a little off to James but he can't quite place why. He feels warm and content, and he smells Earl Grey, and a certain spiciness that he would know anywhere. Not willing to wake up from this dream just yet, he feels a tear escape from the corner of his eye as he takes a slow, deep breath.

"Time to wake up, James.." The soft voice of Q comes to him, a soft, long-fingered hand reaching out to brush away the tear, stroking over the stubbled cheek before brushing a soft kiss against the agent's lips lightly.

At the touch of lips to his, James slides his hand into blissfully soft curls that cling to his fingers as he returns the kiss fiercely for a few moments, pulling away sharply and blinking his eyes open to look up into dark green eyes. "Q.." he breathes in shock as he looks up at the man. "Bloody hell, Q.." he says as he pulls the young man down again for a passionate kiss, before he just clings to him, burying his face into the younger man's neck.

"Shhh, now, Bond. Goodness." Q says with a small shake of his head, chuckling lightly. "You bloody idiot. I guess your luck finally ran out.." he says with a shake of his head, running his long fingers through the blond's hair.

Lifting his head to look into those vivid green eyes again, Bond smiles softly, feeling at peace for the first time in a very long time. "I love you, Q. " He finally says bluntly with no preamble, rolling them over so that he can perch above the younger man and just take him in and look at him. He feels years younger yet strangely vulnerable, partially not believing that this isn't just a dream and won't just disappear. "Can we stay here forever?"

With a soft smile, Q drapes his arms around Bond's neck, stretching out comfortably. "I love you, James." He says in return before he smiles sweetly up at the older man. "Just this once."

* * *

><p><strong>Ok.. so I stayed up way too late last night, I could not leave this story alone, I had to do an epilogue. I am not ok with a world where Q and Bond do not end up together. :) I hope you all enjoyed this story!<strong>

**Reviews/Comments welcome!**


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